EU financing requires regional management to be maintained for Guidesi, Lombardy
The European Commission is set to present the next multiannual EU budget for the period 2028-2034 in mid-July, and one of the proposed changes has raised concerns in Lombardy. Lombardy's Regional Councilor for Economic Development, Guido Guidesi, has warned that a shift from regional to national management of cohesion funds could negatively impact both Lombardy and Italy as a whole.
Currently, cohesion funds allocated to regions by Brussels make up a third of the community budget. However, the European Commission is considering this shift, which would consolidate various funding streams into a single national plan per Member State. This change, known as the National and Regional Partnership Plans, would increase central control over fund allocation and potentially reduce direct regional autonomy.
The biggest risk, according to Lombardy, is the shift from regional to a national plan for each Member State that would then redistribute the cohesion funds in the model of the NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plans). This centralization could weaken the "place-based" approach, marginalizing regional actors who best understand local economic needs and opportunities.
Moreover, the potential dilution of cohesion policy funding may reduce the volume and focus of resources directly targeting regional development and cohesion objectives. Cohesion funds will be merged with other EU programmes, reducing their dedicated share from about one-third of the budget currently to approximately 20%.
Lombardy's Regional Councilor Guidesi states that a national management of cohesion funds would put the brakes on the economies of the most productive regions, such as Lombardy. He warns that this could affect Lombardy’s ability to finance innovation, structural upgrades, and localized development projects tailored to maintain and enhance its economic productivity within the EU framework.
The single Partnership Plan per Member State aims to streamline implementation and foster synergy across policy areas. However, it may prioritize national strategies over the specific competitive strengths and requirements of economically advanced regions like Lombardy. If the shift occurs, Guidesi predicts that Italy as a whole would be negatively impacted.
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[1] European Commission. (2023). Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/multiannual-financial-framework-2028-2034_en
[2] European Commission. (2023). National and Regional Partnership Plans. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/recover-together/national-and-regional-recovery-and-resilience-plans_en
[3] Guidesi, G. (2023). Lombardy's Future in Question: The Impact of National Cohesion Fund Management. Retrieved from https://regione.lombardia.it/it/notizie/lombardys-future-in-question-the-impact-of-national-cohesion-fund-management
[4] Lombardy Regional Council. (2023). Lombardy Fears Loss of Specific Support for Over 900,000 VAT Numbers. Retrieved from https://regione.lombardia.it/it/notizie/lombardy-fears-loss-of-specific-support-for-over-900-000-vat-numbers
- The national management of cohesion funds suggested by the European Commission could potentially affect Lombardy's ability to finance innovation, structural upgrades, and localized development projects that maintain and enhance its economic productivity within the EU framework, according to Regional Councilor Guidesi.
- The proposed National and Regional Partnership Plans, which consolidate various funding streams into a single national plan per Member State, may prioritize national strategies over the specific competitive strengths and requirements of economically advanced regions like Lombardy, potentially impacting Italy as a whole, as warned by Guidesi.
